This year’s bid calling contest was again held at the South Dakota State Fair in conjunction with the SD 4-H Foundation.  Our emcee was 2011 bid calling champion Chisum Peterson, Chamberlain, SD.
Wow, what a year. Twenty-one contestants from Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska  .A big thank you to our judges again this year: Jean Ferguson, Wessington Springs, SD, Roger Mentzer, Kimball, SD, Murt Wenzel, Wessington Springs, SD, Ben Meyer, Huron, SD, Fred Knight Wessington Springs, SD.  Thank you to the extra clerks Wanda Tapken Wessington Springs, SD and SDAA member’s wife Joyce Fjelland, Clark, SD, the 4-H kids and all the ring men and bid takers.  This was also a very close race with these fine auctioneers. Each Auctioneer brought three items for the first round of competition.  Before the auction started SDAA members in charge picked nine items of similar value out of the 4-H Foundation donated items for the final round. After the first round three of the top contestants where chose by their scores and where brought back up to sell three more items and new scores tallied.  We also had SDAA Hall of Fame members and past champions start to sell 4-H Foundation items. The SDAA proceeds tallied up to $2929.00 and the 4-H Foundation sale tallied brought up $7597.50. Once again the Dakotaland tent was full of buyers and big supporters of the South Dakota Auctioneers and SD 4-H foundation. Free water was again supplied by Producers.

 This year the Turner County Fair asked if we could assist them in the bid calling contest .  We hand picked the judges for them and Thanks to Ted & Pam Petrak, Josh Luckett, Murt Wenzel for volunteering their time to judge and what at great little fair.  If you have not had the opportunity to visit the TCF it is a must.  Thank you to the SDAA members that helped ring and take bids.We had  15 professional contestants from Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska and 1 amature contestant .  Winning the professional contest was SDAA Member Ben Meyer, Huron,SD, 1st Runner up SDAA member Mike Girard, Wakonda, SD, 2nd runner up was SDAA Member Ted Souvignier Canton SD.  Winning the amature division was Josh Goeman,  Lennox, SD.  The professional division was a very close race.  Each contest brought 2 items to auction off and the proceeds from the auction went to the Turner County Fair raising $942.00. Thanks to Darcy Andersen & Billy Weegar & the rest of the TCF staff for helping check in and clerk the sale.